For me, the essence of Scotland is in it’s beautiful landscapes and it’s castle-icious history. From the Orkney Islands in the north through the Highlands to Hadrian’s wall in the south, historic castles sit lochside and hillside in some truly spectacular locations.

Historic clans like the MacDonalds, the Stewarts, the MacKenzie’s or the Robertson’s, just to name a few, cover the countryside with their clan lands. The clan chieftains castle is Clan Regions of Scotland is always the grandest estate on these family lands perched majestically on a beautiful loch or amongst amazing mountainous views.

Most stone Scottish castles have their roots in the 1300-1600’s as fortified clan strongholds. As technologies and workmanship improve, renovations, refurbishments or expansions happening til the mid-1700’s. At this point in history clans and castles sympathetic to the Jacobites were seized and destroyed by the opposing British so it couldn’t be used as a stronghold against them into the future. Many still sit in ruins today – some have been purchased and painstakingly restored. Some have even been slept in by Bonnie Prince Charlie or Mary Queen of Scots!

Edinburgh (pronounced Edin-borough, not Edin-burrr), Scotland – the name for me conjures a mental image of a turbulent medieval history with stone fortresses, ancient battles and has it’s roots easily dating back to pre-Norse and Roman expansion. Kings, Queens and historic nobility have crowned Edinburgh as Scotland’s capital on the notable bay of the Firth of Forth and shops on the Royal Mile have made their mark evolving Edinburgh into a modern city rich in it’s arts, sciences, and cultural offerings.

The Royal Mile is Edinburgh’s tourist gem – the mile-long stretch of markets, shops and restaurants that tempt tourists as they explore grand Edinburgh Castle atop Castle Rock at one end and the Palace of Holyroodhouse aside majestic Arthurs Seat and the Salisbury Crags at the other end. To catch the flavor of what Scotland has to offer, Edinburgh is where you begin.

Since Scotland is such a wonderous country offering spectacular scenic vistas, vibrant castle-icious lochs and Scottish clans and their kilts, Edinburgh wraps all of these up to give you just a taste of what’s in store across it’s moory lands. Here’s Edinburgh in a 3-day weekend …

How to Explore Edinburgh’s Royal Mile in 3 days
Book your accommodations (or an Airbnb on the Royal Mile) and get set to see the highlights in 3 days.

Day 1 – Get acquainted with the Royal Mile

Hop On, Hop Off Bus (Edinburgh Tours) – you’ve arrived in Edinburgh, stepped on to the cobble-stoned Royal Mile (almost being hit by a passing bus if you’re touring on the Royal Mile from North America as you look the wrong way stepping off the curb!) and are overwhelmed with the options both right and left. Our recommendation is to head down to the Waverley Station bridge and get a ticket for one of Edinburgh’s Hop-On Hop-Off bus tours. For £15 (British Pounds) per adult you get a 24-hour pass and guided CitySightSeeing Tour of the Royal Mile’s highlights to get your bearings and determine what you want to include in your explorations. See something right away you want to explore, hop off at the next stop, explore and resume your CitySightSeeing Tour. If you’d like a broader view of greater Edinburgh, consider the Edinburgh Tour, the Majestic Tour or the 3 Bridges Tour.

Struggling through changeable weather year-round, Edinburgh, the UK’s most northerly capital city, has better things to offer than endless days of unbroken sunshine – it has class, heritage and candlelit folklore to keep you warm.
We should mention, It was unusually sunny and hot during our visit in late May – but we promise everything in this guide is, pretty much, weatherproof and true to ‘usual’ climates.

Now that’s been cleared up, let’s take a five-pillar approach to what makes a good trip; relaxation, culture, LGBTI spaces, food and drink and the outdoors.
We had exactly 48 hours from the time the plane touched down to when we departed from the tarmac once again – so it was on to cram in as much as possible but still feel chilled.

Here’s a quick round-up of guide of where we found ourselves in those 48 hours:
Wake up with the dawn chorus and head to a spa for relaxation.

Have you ever had an hour-long exfoliating facial massage? It’s a definition of living.
One Spa at the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa offers a huge range of treatments designed individually to suit men and women, as well as an outdoor hydropool and signature spa experience, ‘Escape at One’, that leads relaxation-seekers around various treatment rooms.

Diving in bright and early, around 9am, starting our adventures in Edinburgh with a vigorous workout followed by intensive therapy sessions was just what we needed to unwind from a busy week we’d just left behind – and truly left behind.

Oh crap! Well, you try squatting down trying to position the tripod camera correctly, clad in a Scottish kilt worn “authentically”…!

The Scottish highlands is the stereotypical image of Scotland you imagine, with rolling hills, mountains towering over large glittering lochs and lots of thick lush green woodland. This is the place where the Scottish kilt originated from, haggis is a local specialty and of course a mythical monster resides. These are our 9 best things to do in the Scottish highlands, which you need to add to your Scotland bucket list.

RENT A KILT: and parade around Inverness Castle

Scottish kilts actually originated right here in the highlands near Inverness back in the 1500s. Back then they were traditionally worn in battle by the Scottish Highlanders. Interestingly, they were last worn in active combat in the 1940s during WW2 when the Royal Highland Regiment fought against the German army.

Today kilts are the official national dress of Scotland, worn mainly at state functions, also at weddings, funerals, festivals, and of course by curious tourists… And for anyone wondering, yes, of course we wore them “traditionally” – it would simply be rude not to! You can rent kilts for the day from many shops in central Inverness like Chisholms, then parade around the beautiful Inverness Castle.

English people like me hold plenty of prejudices about Glasgow. But Scotland’s biggest city is actually a cultural powerhouse – friendly, creative and sophisticated.

People Make Glasgow

‘Don’t you worry about the weather,’ the receptionist at my hotel told me as I checked in. ‘You’re set fair for today.’

Two hours later, I was wrestling with my umbrella as gail-force rains lashed over me. But he’d said it with a smile and Glaswegian enthusiasm is infectious.
The locals have a different attitude to the weather from the rest of us. The odd shower is inevitable. But although they can’t be trusted with forecasting, they are the absolute highlight of the city in every other way. They are direct, friendly and outspoken.
In that spirit, the tourist board changed their brand in 2013 to ‘People Make Glasgow’. You can’t argue with that.

Flourishing Music Scene

Glasgow is a UNESCO City of Music and boasts one of Britain’s best live music scenes. They say that you haven’t seen Glasgow until you’ve seen a gig there. And there’s plenty to choose from, with around 130 live music events a week. Whether you like classical, pop, jazz, electronica, indie or country, you’ll find it in Glasgow.

When I began planning my adventure in Scotland, I naturally asked all my friends for advice on where to go. A friend of a friend said I HAD to visit the Isle of Iona, as it was a completely magical place. OK…so I got out the map and located it. Hmm…it was part of the Hebrides Islands, a little isle off the coast of the Isle of Mull, off the coast of Oban. It didn’t sound like the easiest place to get to, but I was determined to make it happen. And, it turned out it wasn’t as difficult as I originally thought.

To get to Iona, I purchased a full day, round trip tour from West Coast tours. I bought my ticket almost 6 months in advance (not that you have to), and I lucked out big time on the weather — cool and sunny! We departed Oban just before 10 in the morning and enjoyed a scenic 50 minute ferry ride to Craignure on the Isle of Mull. From there, I hopped on a bus and took an hour and half drive across the ruggedly beautiful Isle of Mull. The driver gave an informative and sometimes humorous commentary during the journey.

Then it’s just a a 15 minute ferry ride over to Iona. Once I debarked in Iona, I just started walking. I knew the main thing I wanted to see was the Abbey, but you never know what you’ll encounter along the way. And what did I find??? An incredible jewelry gallery, Aosdana! Honestly, this was about the last thing I ever thought I’d find on this remote island.

OutOfOffice.com is giving you the chance to win a two-night stay at the beautiful five-star Edinburgh hotel Nira Caledonia.

Located on the cobbled streets of New Town, this romantic boutique property combines the luxury of a top five-star with the intimacy and peace of a cosy townhouse.

The 28-bedroom hotel features stunning original cornicing and plasterwork. An intimate restaurant is lit by the soft glow of a chandelier, while the striking architecture on the street opposite is visible through original sash windows.

A successful blend of Georgian period features and contemporary furnishings characterises the decor throughout the property. This, together with a home-from-home ambience, defines the very essence of Nira Caledonia.

The prize includes:

Two-night stay in a Petite Double room, complimentary upgrade, early check-in and late check out, welcome drink upon arrival, full Scottish Breakfast each morning, a three-course dinner for two people including a bottle of house wine at Blackwood’s Bar & Grill and a Silver Whisky Barrel ride at The Scotch Whisky Experience.

Periodically we’ll feature one of our properties here to let our readers know about some great gay friendly places to stay:

The beautiful old Merchant’s House apartment is situated in a wonderful Georgian building overlooking Edinburgh’s historic Gayfield Square. The apartment is in fact the whole ground floor of an original house dating back to around 1800, with private front and back garden. It feels like being in a country house as the square is so quiet yet you’re right in the middle of the city- only a 7 minute walk to Princes Street and the main train station (from there an easy walk to the castle and old town). It comprises 2 double bedrooms/2 bathrooms to sleep up to 4 people very comfortably. It’s also a stone’s throw from the fashionable Broughton Street with its great cafe culture and bistros, as well as being close to the Playhouse Theatre and the main downtown shopping area.

The apartment benefits from free wifi internet access and is non- smoking throughout, although there’s ample outdoor space for those in need!

The Drawingroom is a spacious and grand room with double Georgian windows overlooking the private landscaped front garden out to the leafy square beyond. There’s a living flame gas fire and flatscreen TV with digital channels and DVD player.

There are two cosy bedrooms both with Eurpoean king sized bed, firm but soft mattresses and fresh white linen supplied. We also supply towels and welcome toiletries. The main hall leads to a large bathroom with corner bath and shower and the rear bedroom has its own en suite shower room also. We supply radio alarm clocks and hairdryer.

The kitchen is a dream for any budding chef with large central granite island and dining table making it a very sociable place to relax and chat whilst cooking and eating. It’s fully equipped with a five burner range cooker/oven, microwave oven, fridge/freezer, coffee maker, washing machine and tumble dryer. French windows from the kitchen lead to back a private garden/patio area with al fresco dining area and seating.

We can also organise a welcome food hamper on request – no need to run to the corner shop for a pint of milk when you arrive! (Please just ask for a quote depending on size and your preferences)

There’s on street parking just outside the apartment (max 4 hours parking with ticket: Monday- Friday, weekends free) or a short walk from the edge of the parking zone (24 hours free parking- about a 10 minute walk or less), but our best advice is that unless you are doing out of town day trips, DON’T rent a car whilst here- you won’t need it since everything is easily walkable (there are also good car rental options close by for when you are departing the city- just ask!).

TV worker and Airbnb user David MacNicol on fish and chips, Glasgow’s bustling arts scene and evenings in with his boyfriend.

I’ve lived here since… September 2001. Can’t Get You Out of My Head by Kylie was number one. Nobody had even heard of Facebook. I wore incredibly baggy jeans. You could still smoke inside and 3.5 inch floppy discs were still a thing.

Now I make television programmes and live with my boyfriend in our flat in the Southside.

My favorite queer bar has to be… The Polo Lounge is the most popular gay club in Scotland. A thorn in the side of many the discerning and culturally savvy queer, but you all know that when push comes to shove, that every LGBT person harbours a secret soft spot for it and no trip to Glasgow would be complete without a visit.

Here in Glasgow, I always look forward to… Menergy, which is a regular club night at AXM hosted by my fabulous friend Lady Guillotina Munter, featuring the hottest drag acts from the States and all over the world. It’s a fantastic place to let your synthetic (and/or otherwise) hair down and maybe don a beaded lash. Should you so desire.